| As we head towards 26, TWU officials and members continue to prepare for the fight ahead. For those of you not yet familiar with the fight for 2026, have a chat with your delegate or official – this is an industry-wide campaign which will see solidarity and outcomes for workers all across transport. This week, I went to Victoria for Australia’s Biggest Bus Strike, in support of bus workers who are fighting for the same fair outcomes as workers in NSW. More on this below. |
This week, we also saw the follow-up to an important safety development in June.
At the time, HSRs and Delegates at Lindsay Transport held their employer to account by issuing two Provisional Improvement Notices (PINs), using the new SafeWork NSW PIN book they received in TWU HSR training.
This week, SafeWork NSW issued an improvement notice for lack of proper PPE – a vindication of the HSR’s hard work and dedication to a safe workplace for all transport workers.
We know that workplaces with HSRs become safer workplaces. As State Secretary, I congratulate these members for putting their training into action and demanding reasonable safety improvements.
Everyone deserves safe workplaces, and taking steps to raise standards is to be commended every time it happens.
Australia’s BIGGEST Bus Strike
Yesterday, over a thousand workers rallied at the Victorian Trades Hall to demand better standards in their industry. This is reminiscent of recent action in NSW, and is over the same core principles.
TWU Members stood their ground at CDC and other companies, rejecting low wage offers and voting up protected industrial action. Despite offering multiple opportunities to negotiate better standards, a deal was not reached. Members had no choice but to ramp up action, undertaking the biggest bus strike in Australia’s history, calling on the government to put pressure on bus companies to resolve the dispute.
NSW knows all-too-well about these struggles, and State Secretary Richard Olsen addressed the rally yesterday to encourage members to stand strong for their pay and conditions.
State Secretary Richard Olsen said,
“We want respect; we want to ensure that we are safe at work. However, the agreements that have been put on our table do not meet those standards.
“As you can see, we are everywhere. Orange is the in-colour here today.”
